I am a member of Parliament suspended by this court. I have
been held in prison for 365 days. I consider myself to be a political
prisoner.

I have always acted in the conviction that the construction of peace is the best possible tool to build community.

Always, in all the elections at which I have stood, I have defended the right to self-determination.

There
is not a single treaty that explicitly prohibits the right to
self-determination. Nor does the Spanish Constitution prohibit it.

I define myself as a democrat, republican and pro-European. And now, as Oriol Junqueras said, "Estic independentista" (that is, a transitory condition).

I
defended federalism. But in 2010, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling on the Statute
that caused many people, including myself, to have the feeling that the
constitutional pact had been broken unilaterally.

Only relationships based on freedom are fruitful, lasting.

We counted up to 20 attempts to force dialogue to take place, a dialogue that for many people was transcendental.

I endorse the words of Joan Herrera: "Who is breaking Spain is the one who does
not recognize the most plurinational state of Europe and its people's right to
decide."

The rule of law can not be imposed over the principle of democratic legitimacy. The sensible thing in these cases is to negotiate.

When did the Departament d'Exteriors act beyond its powers?

I
have spoken of the right to decide all my life. I have always defended
it. And it is not a crime. Since when is defending the right to
self-determination is a crime? How can you pursue that? It is
inconceivable.

I have always defended the right to
self-determination by appealing to pacifism, to harmony, to dialogue, to
civility. We have never made any incitement to violence.

Bearing in mind that a referendum is not illegal, it was surprising that on 20-S something that is not a crime was pursued.

Demonstrating is not an uprising, protesting is not a tumult and to think is not a crime.

The only weapons that there have been are those of the Civil Guards.

I have neither seen the document "Enfocats" nor know anyone who knew of it.

We
responded to the civic and persistent demand of 80% of the population.
We had opted fo politics. Why were we to give up the referendum?

Most of the accusations have to do with lectures, conferences, debates ... How can it be illegal to hold a conference?

We
called for free and non-partisan mobilization. We appealed to the citizenry
to demonstrate. And we committed ourselves to respect the result,
whatever it would be.

I went to vote on 1 October, the situation in
the school was fairly normal. I saw a firm and peaceful
determination to carry out the right to vote.

And I saw violence, yes: the violence exercised by the State security forces.

I
am, we are all of us, in jail and in front of this court for doing
politics, and those who promote our condemnation are doing so because they gave up doing politics.

Not accepting a political role will not solve anything, it will only make it
worse. That is why I ask you for impartiality: do justice and return to
politics what belongs to politics.